Improvement in washing-machines



DANIEL w. NORRIS.

Improvement in Washing Machihes.

Patented Jan. 23, 1872.

.fnvenia 2: gwwl/ WHJVO WLOJ 1 lie.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

DANIEL W. NORRIS, OF NORMAL, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO MICHAEL NEILL OF SAMEPLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WASHING-MACHINES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 123,041 dated January23, 1872.

To all whomit may concern:

I Be it known that I, DANIEL W. NORRIs, of Normal, in the county ofMcLean and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Washing-Illachines; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improvedmachine applied to a tub, the latter being partly broken away. Fig. 2 isa transverse section of the same in the line as as, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3is a transverse section in the line y y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the severalfigures of the drawing.

My invention has for its object to improve the construction andoperation of that class of washing-machines which is applicable to anordinary wash-tub, for the purpose of supplying a better and cheapermachine to the pub- To this end, the invention consists, first, inconstructing the frameof the machine in such a manner as to affordstrong and durable bearings for the journals of the washing-rollers, andto prevent the clothes from being torn or otherwise injured during theoperation of washing, by contact with such journals or with the devicesby which the upper pressing-roller is held and adjusted in its bearings.A further advantage resulting from my improved frame consists inpreventing the dirty water expressed from the clothes from again comingin contact with the latter before flowing into the tub. In machines ofthis class, as heretofore constructed, the bottom of the frame directsthe dirty water back upon the clothes before they fall into the tub,thereby retarding the process of cleansing. In my frame the whole bottomis left open, so that the dirty water shall fall directly into the tubas fast as it is-pressed out of the clothes. The invention furtherconsists in the means employed for adjusting the pressure of the upperroller, and in the adaptation of such means to permit the removal of theroller, when desired. The inven tion further consists in making theframe of a washing-machine of this class adjustable to fit tubs ofdifferent sizes.

In the accompanying drawing, A are the ends, secured together by theside pieces B, so as to form an oblong or rectangular frame. The endpieces are each formed with a shoulder upon their outer faces, extendingabove the side pieces to the lower end of the vertical slots 0, whichreceive the journals of the large corrugated pressing-roller D, one ofwhich is provided with the operating-crank, as shown. E are the lowerrollers, formed with smooth surfaces and arranged in the arc of a circlebetween the ends of the frame, the outer ones extending to or a littleover the side pieces B. By constructing the frame in this manner toreceive the rollers the whole bottom is left open, so that the dirtywater expressed from the clothes between the upper and lowerrollersshall flow directly into the tub without obstruction. F are boltsor rods, passing vertically through the thickest part of the end pieces,and formed with a hook, g, at their upper ends to catch over thejournals of the large roller D outside the slottedportion of the endpieces. The lower ends of the hook-rods terminate in a recess, h, in theends B, and are threaded to receive a thumb-nut, I, also located withinthe recess, so as to bear against the lower ends of spiral or othersprings J, which are let into sockets in the end pieces and surround thehook-rods. By operating the nuts the tension of the springs is regulatedto adjust the yielding pressure of the roller D upon the clothes beingwashed. When it becomes desirable to remove the roller D from itsbearings for any purpose, the nuts I are screwed down upon the rodsuntil they reach the ends thereof, where they may be arrested by smallheads formed upon the rods by ham mering after the nuts have beenapplied. By continuing to turn the' nuts, and, at the same time, pushingthe rods upward to compress the springs, the hooks g are lifted andturned to one side, thereby releasing the journals of the upper roller,so that the latter can be readily removed from its bearings. K is ametal loop, whose sides fit with close contact within grooves lformed inthe proximate faces of the side pieces B. The loop may be made slight-1y elastic, if desired, so that when its sides are compressed andinserted in the grooves they will hold the loop in place by expansion. i

applying the machine to a wash-tub this loop is titted over a shortstud, M, afiixed to the inside of the tub, and the opposite projectingends of the frame are inserted in a bracket, N, attached to the oppositeside of the tub, as shown in Fig. 1. By moving the loop K out or inWithin the groove 1 the frame is lengthened or shortened to accommodatetubs of different sizes, as will be readily understood. The clothes areprevented from being torn or otherwise injured by contact With thejournals of the rollers and the nuts I by the side pieces and theinclosing sides of the recesses h.

Having thus described my invention, What I claim is 1. The frame of theWashing-machine, con-

